Random Acts of Kindness
by WalkingDictionary
Summary: Gloria Rest is a single mom who needs a little extra help now and again-although she tries not to ask. On a trip where her need is a little greater than usual, she runs into the neighborhood genius with a big heart. Rated K (sugary sweet to give you cavities!). No spoilers.


**A/N: This was something I wrote around the same time as Silence of Our Friends and another Criminal Minds story (working title: NOEDIGNOSAJ), so it's at least four to five years old. I did look over it recently and there didn't appear to be anything overly egregiously written. If there is anything wrong, please don't hesitate to send me a message or comment about it.**

**Spoilers: None that come to mind.**

**Thanks and happy reading as always!**

**Disclaimer: Oh, oh! I have the first two seasons on DVD! I might even have the third one too! But, I still own nothing recognizable in the story.**

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**Random Acts of Kindness**

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There is a slight scent of spring in the air, Gloria Rest decides as she hurries her four children into the small corner market. They need so many, many things. Shoes would be nice, but this week food is Gloria's major concern.

Peter, Johnnie, Rosie, and Carlo are happy to be away from the apartment and not for the first time does Gloria wish at least one of them would be old enough for school. They are holy terrors, no babysitter can control them. She can't control them.

She hurries through the aisles, clicking her tongue to warn her brood from running off. She notices how the youngsters, never straying too far from her, always manage to run into a tall thin man who has a box of heavily sugared cereal held close in front of his face. He looks down at them causally before readjusting the box.

He has a pair of glasses shoved onto the top of his head, long strands of hair hanging in his face as he reads the lack of nutritional value contained in the box. He sighs and puts it back, using a long-fingered hand to sweep his glasses back onto his nose. His clothes are neat: a gray polo shirt with a thin dark jacket, khakis, and sneakers. He has a messenger bag slung over one shoulder and it swings as he debates his diabetes-inducing breakfast choices.

"Corn flakes work better," she advises as she compares the prices on breakfast tarts.

"Not enough sugar," he replies softly. "The best nutritional gain would be to buy unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Of course, certain types would be more expensive due to availability and shipping companies, and there wouldn't always be a guarantee that they'd work." He shrugs, choosing a different cereal. Something with an even higher sugar content.

She moves on, clicking her tongue again so that her children will follow her. The children, Rosie especially, seem intrigued by the young man and they begin following him as he makes his way to the stand of produce.

Gloria watches with a wary eye as the man teaches her daughter how to check the fruits and vegetables for ripeness. He hands her several oranges saying something about vitamin C and scurvy. When another man appears, Gloria becomes worried, whistling sharply. Her children scamper to her side.

The newcomer smiles absentmindedly but leaves them alone. Gloria does not stay to see the young man's reaction. She hurries through the rest of her list, gathering her groceries quickly. By the time she arrives at the checkout, Carlo, her youngest, is tired and wants to be carried. Peter and Johnnie are teasing Rosie about the oranges she is still holding from her lesson.

As the items ring up, Gloria knows she won't be able to pay for everything. She looks at the items sitting on the conveyer belt. She can't put anything back. When the clerk tells her the total, she realizes that she can't buy even half of what she has picked out. She smiles embarrassedly, picking out things she knows are less of staples.

"Excuse me," behind her, the young man stutters, interrupting the clerk from removing anything. "Um, I can cover it. Just add these items." He spills two boxes of corn flakes, two canisters of coffee, a five-pound bag of sugar, four coloring books, and four boxes of crayons onto the already full conveyer belt. With another murmured, "excuse me" he makes it to the front of the line, paying quickly. She is somewhat amused to see him pulling out a reusable shopping bag from the messenger bag.

He helps her gather her bags, walking her and her children out to her SUV. She is furious but refuses to speak to him in front of her children. While he sorts his purchases from hers, she buckles her children into their booster seats. Peter asks a silent question as he puts his thumb into his mouth. Johnnie and Rosie copy him.

Gloria shakes her head, closing the doors and joining the young man at the hatch. "Why did you do that?" she demands in a whisper.

"What'd I do?" He looks genuinely confused. He has pushed his glasses on top of his head again. The cereal, sugar, and coffee are in the reusable bag hanging from the crook of his arm. The coloring books are securely tucked in with her groceries. "I did something wrong?"

"You paid for things for my family," she sighs. It's the same thing with her sister too. Big hearts that don't realize the damage of contributions. "I don't need your help."

"Actually, you need more help than you realize," he laughs nervously, backing away from her as if she'll strike out at him. "You're a single mother with four kids. You work two jobs, but obviously they aren't well-paying. You need clothes and food. More food than you just, uh, picked out. You need someone to lean on, but you're afraid that once people see how weak you are, you'll be targeted and your kids will never be free from the restrictions society has placed on you."

"What are you?" She is sure he knows from her expression that he's gotten it right.

"You are younger than at least one of your siblings, and yet you feel like the responsible one." He grabs his glasses, playing with the bows. She notices again how his fingers are long, his hands…graceful.

"What the hell are you?" He looks hurt, huffing slightly as he places his glasses on his face before awkwardly wrapping his arms around his stomach.

"Dr. Spencer Reid of the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI."

"Gloria Rest, mother of four."

He inclines his head before turning. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Rest."

She watches him leave. He turns a corner without looking back. Noticing the man from inside the market watching her now, she closes the hatch a little harsher than necessary and gets into the driver's seat. She's out of there before she can take a relaxed breath.

After feeding her children and settling them down with their new coloring books, Gloria thinks back to Dr. Spencer Reid and decides that his big heart is just the right size.

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The End

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End file.
